Letter: "Support ranked-choice voting"

There’s a movement in Maine to support ranked-choice voting that we’re encouraging and endorsing. On Election Day, it will appear as a referendum question to enact ranked-choice voting for future Maine elections.

Being a state of independent thinkers, we have many third-party candidates. They often are referred to as “spoilers” and not taken very seriously. People hesitate to vote for their first choice, as it might seem as though their vote will be wasted. Instead, voters often choose between the two “winnable” candidates. No vote should ever be wasted, and no Maine resident should ever not be heard.

Ranked-choice voting works like this. In a three-person race, you have the option of choosing your first, second and third choice. If no one receives a majority — that is, 50 percent plus one — the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Those voters have their second-choice rankings added to the top two candidates’ tallies. The candidate who gets more than 50 percent then will have the backing of a majority.

It sounds so simple and makes so much sense that it’s difficult to find the downside. It will prevent a candidate from winning with less than 40 percent of the popular vote. Be part of the movement and support ranked-choice voting this November.